Study: Reading fiction improves mental function

July 3, 2012 4:30:19 PM PDT

PALO ALTO, Calif. --

That paperback romance or other beach book you're into this summer is giving your brain a boost.

Research by Stanford professor Joshua Landy finds that fiction books can improve mental skills like rational thinking and abstract thought. Landy says to get the biggest brain boost, linger over passages and contemplate ideas between readings.